We English speakers are really at a disadvantage. If we decide to learn a modern language we really have to put a lot of effort in and make up our minds to do it. We are not drilled in languages from a young age the way children in other countries are.
Imagine being in a remote village somewhere in a country like Malawi or Tanzania. In these countries, the need to learn English is huge, and due to government mandate, it is taught to children regardless of how remote they are. This is why someone travelling to Malawai may be pleasantly surprised when a native child speaks to them in excellent English.
In England, students casually learn words from other languages as school children but in reality, it's more of a secondary thing, and often seen as just a hobby. This is a real shame, as English speaking children have just as much of a capacity for languages as anyone else, but they simply do not have the chance to really well and truly learn another language at the time that their brains would be most receptive.
Learning a new language as an older student or adult is much harder. By then it is usually only the students who have a particular interest in a language or want to combine a business degree with an up and coming nation's language, who opt to study a foreign language. As most of the world's entertainment is in the English language, English speakers have to invest quite a bit of time and effort and expense in creating experiences which expose them to a language enough to make them fluent.
Modern languages should be seen as a practical skill learned alongside other subjects in the normal educational development of a student. Yet lack of opportunities to be truly exposed to a language and not enough emphasis in the national curriculum mean that English speaking children are truly missing out.
Imagine being in a remote village somewhere in a country like Malawi or Tanzania. In these countries, the need to learn English is huge, and due to government mandate, it is taught to children regardless of how remote they are. This is why someone travelling to Malawai may be pleasantly surprised when a native child speaks to them in excellent English.
In England, students casually learn words from other languages as school children but in reality, it's more of a secondary thing, and often seen as just a hobby. This is a real shame, as English speaking children have just as much of a capacity for languages as anyone else, but they simply do not have the chance to really well and truly learn another language at the time that their brains would be most receptive.
Learning a new language as an older student or adult is much harder. By then it is usually only the students who have a particular interest in a language or want to combine a business degree with an up and coming nation's language, who opt to study a foreign language. As most of the world's entertainment is in the English language, English speakers have to invest quite a bit of time and effort and expense in creating experiences which expose them to a language enough to make them fluent.
Modern languages should be seen as a practical skill learned alongside other subjects in the normal educational development of a student. Yet lack of opportunities to be truly exposed to a language and not enough emphasis in the national curriculum mean that English speaking children are truly missing out.
About the Author:
Andrew North is a widley respected writer who has been writing for 5 over years often writes on Translation Services and a wide range of other subjects.
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